Another death in Malaysia linked to airbag rupture in Honda car

[KUALA LUMPUR] The driver of a Honda City in Malaysia possibly died from a ruptured airbag after her car was involved in a "minor accident" over the weekend, local daily The Star reported on Monday.

A 44-year-old woman in the driver seat was found with injuries to her chest from an item protruding from the centre of the steering wheel, and the driver's front airbag was found ruptured, the newspaper reported, citing a senior officer from the fire and rescue department.

The woman later died at the scene of the accident, the report said.

Malaysian police were not able to confirm if the death was caused by a faulty airbag. "We are still waiting for the official report from the post-mortem," Mohd Zani Che Din, assistant police commissioner of the Petaling Jaya district, told Reuters.

Honda Malaysia spokesman Jordhat Johan said the company was investigating the case and could not provide any further details.

Three other passengers in the Honda and two in a Mercedes, which the Honda had bumped into, were all unhurt, the Star reported.

Just last week, Honda Motor recalled 147,894 vehicles in Malaysia to replace front passenger air bag inflators, as part of a global recall involving potentially deadly air bags from supplier Takata Corp.

The recall included the City, Accord and Civic models, among others.

The inflators, which regulators fear could explode with excessive force after prolonged exposure to heat and humidity, have been linked to over 100 injuries and 13 deaths, two in Malaysia.

REUTERS